His brows knot up at the base as if he were trying to piece it together. “What’d you lay down? Did you lose something? Are you looking for a pink jacket? I just saw a waitress haul one to theback.”
“No. Actually”—my laughter hikes up a notch—“I was talking about something else entirely.” I lean in, trying my best not to run out of here screaming, knocking down all the coeds in my way like bowling pins because I’m so angry at myself for taking so damn long to do this. “Eli, I have to ask your forgiveness.” His eyes widen as if I just jumped sanity’s rails and he has no clue what to do with me. “I can’t believe I’ve let so much time lapse, but in my defense this has been very, very hard on me. I’ve been so sick, and I can’t sleep half the time, and now my hair is falling out. It’s falling out! I’m going to be bald by September.” I sob unexpectedly. “And I cry,” I whine my way through the words. “I cry for no reasonallthetime.”
“Shit.” He slides the entire napkin dispenser my way. “Are you okay? Let me call yourbrother.”
“No!” I shout so loud, so harsh, he bolts upright in his seat as if he were fearing for his life and mine. “I’m fine.” I do my best to swallow down my emotions. “I promise, everything is A-OK. Here’s the thing. What I’m about to say is going to come as a total shock to you. I just want you to know in advance, I’m not looking for money or anything else. I just need you to understand that. I simply need you tolisten.”
He inches back as if I struck him. “You got it. What’s goingon?”
“Last December, you and I were at a frat party—last one before winterbreak.”
He tips his head back and looks past me as if reliving the scene. “Yeah, I wasthere.”
“Okay, well, I got wasted, and I think you were pretty tanked yourself. The next thing I knew I was in your room, and wewere—”
“Oh shit.” His eyes round out because I think he just did the vomit-inducing math. “Are you trying to say thatwe—”
I give a quick nod. “And we accidentally made aperson.”
His hand thumps over the table as he slumps into a catatonic state. His face goes white as chalk, and I’m half-afraid if he doesn’t take his next breath we’ll have a funeral to plan. I’ll be the girl who killed Eli Gates with hervagina.
“Please, don’t worry about anything.” I’m quick to try to bring him back to the land of the living. “I’m okay. The baby is, too. I’ve already decided, I’m going to raise it myself. And I promise you there is no pressure at all for you to be involved. I just”—I shrug as the tears come back to the party—“I just thought you shouldknow.”
Eli stares at me as if I’ve just confessed to hacking down every person in Cutler Tower before he exhales and his body melts against his seat. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I really appreciate it. And I’m really sorry I haven’t been there for you.” He leans in, tears glittering in his own eyes as he takes up my hand. “I promise I’m going to make it up toyou.”
I glance at the time on my phone. “Well, don’t worry about it. If I were you, I’d take off right about now. My entire family is set to burst in at any minute. I’m getting ready to tell them, too.” I wince. “I’ve sort of kept this close to thevest.”
“Yeah.” He stands and collects his books. “I think I need to wrap my head around it for a bit before I face your brothers. Maybe brush up on some boxingmoves.”
“Sorry.” I grimace. “Maybe we can get together sometime next week and I’ll take you up on that nacho challenge. We can get some things ironed out then, too. I’ll bring an ultrasound picture of the baby, and you can see it if youwant.”
“Baby.” That heavy look of concern melts into a sorrowful smile. “Yes, I would absolutely love that.” He comes over and offers a strong hug before dropping a sweet kiss over the top of my head. “I’ll text you tonight. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me.” He points hard as he walks out backward, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he has a slight spring to his step. Maybe this isn’t the worst news? He backs into a body, and it’s Seth coming this way. “I’ll call you,” he says before heading out thedoors.
Seth steals a kiss from my lips before taking a seat across fromme.
“Watch it!” I glance over my shoulder for signs of my psychotic brothers. “God forbid they see you kissingme.”
“But it’s okay if they see Eli?” He’s so jealous it’s downright adorable. “What was that about,anyway?”
I bite down over my bottom lip for a moment. “I toldhim.”
“Told him what?” He looks genuinelyconfused.
“About the baby,” I practically mouth the words, and his eyes widen ten times theirsize.
“Ohshit.”
“Yes, oh shit is right.” I fan myself with the menu. “It took everything I had to muster up the courage to do it. I’m just sorry it took so long. He was really nice about it, though. And I think he wants to step up. He said I could call him anytime if I needed anything atall.”
“I bet he did,” Seth groans and buries his head in his hands a moment, but before I can assure him it was for the best, Serena breezes over and wraps her arms around me in a heartyembrace.
“You know I love you, right?” Her watery green eyes light up like Christmastrees.
My entire body radiates with warmth. “Iknow.”
“Come on, guys.” She pulls me out of my seat. “We’ve got a bunch of tables reserved in theback.”
Seth and I follow Serena over just as a small mob heads this way, and I offer Trixie and Rush a warm hug right along with Nolan and Misty. My father lunges at me like he means it and presses a quick kiss over mycheek.
